After Beyond
by DesertAnubis
Summary: A little twist on what happens after death, and what happens with one's ka... No pairings.
1. The Afterlife

After Beyond - Basically, what happens at the end of the series... with quite a bit of imagination. Wonder what you think of it.

Also, touches briefly on religion, so no hate me. No pairings except what you think you see.

* * *

As the pharaoh stepped through the door, it shut, leaving him in the light, facing his family and court.

"My pharaoh!" His servants knelt, and he gazed around at them all. "You are finally at rest, Pharaoh."

He nodded, but a thought made him turn. The door was gone, but they could all sense where his attention had gone.

"My son, you came to the Afterlife. You can't go back. Not without being reborn." Akhnamkanon, Atem's father and the previous pharaoh, spoke. "You may witness it, however, if you so choose."

Atem turned. "Thank you, Father."

"Come, first you must learn of the Afterlife. It has rules, after all." He gestured, and his son hurried forward.

"What do you mean, Father?" Atem asked as he stood beside his father, gazing around at the white, which faded away to reveal a temple.

"First, your resting place – the residence of your soul. This is mine, and I shall explain with mine." Akhnamkanon sat down in a plush chair, and another appeared for Atem. It was then that he realized the others had gone.

"Where are the others?" He asked vaguely as he sat.

"They will return soon; in the meantime," He gestured. "Your resting place is bound to your remains. Your body's condition is represented in the walls. As you can see, mine might not be pristine, but it is still strong."

Atem's eyes widened and he looked around. "But… what if I don't have remains? My body vanished when my soul was bound to the Millennium Pyramid!"

"I'm getting to that." Akhnamkanon waved his hand dismissively. "The location of your body also helps. The more sacred your earthly resting place, the better condition the residence of your soul in the Afterlife. As it turns out, museums are the next best thing. They treat your remains with great respect, and more often than not, your body will be in the best possible condition for a much longer time. Now, anything you were given at the time of your death is copied in the Afterlife. If an item is stolen –unless it has a mystical power, such as the Millennium Items– it does not disappear from your room."

"That's good." Atem muttered. It didn't make grave robbery any better, but at the very least a helpless soul wasn't cheated of their gifts, which might be all they had.

"Items such as the Millennium Items are not duplicated in the Afterlife. Partially because of the sacrilege that created them, and partially because they are unique, and do not duplicate well. And partially because of the destined paths they follow. It is possible to take a powerful item to the Afterlife, but once it has been taken, it no longer resides in the mortal world." He looked down. "I almost took the Millennium Items with me when I passed on."

Atem's eyes widened. "Would that have defeated Zorc?"

"Likely not. In any case, the Millennium Items weren't ready to move on; their own paths were not ready to intersect with the Afterlife just yet." He looked up at his son. "A residence may also be afforded luxuries from the Afterlife, such as these chairs." He patted the arm of his chair. "I much prefer these to the throne I was given; it is so much more comfortable."

Atem chuckled. "Yes, I can imagine so."

"These you can receive by serving the gods, usually in menial tasks such as guiding a new spirit about the Afterlife, keeping their temples in good condition, bringing offerings, and so forth."

"Really? There is work in the Afterlife?" Atem asked, sounding curious as he leaned forward.

Akhnamkanon smiled. "After a manner of speaking, I suppose. There are many ways to gain favor with the gods, and so close to their homelands, you get many more chances. Even providing amusement is an accepted way to gain favor."

"Really?" Atem chuckled and sat back. "I don't know if I can be a comedian, but that surely must be an interesting sight."

"It certainly is. But this brings me to my next topic; the gods." Akhnamkanon clapped his hands, and a tablet appeared, completely blank. "Tablets like these are given to spirits who are teaching new spirits about the Afterlife," He added, and Atem nodded, then gasped as images appeared, carved in the stone. "There are far more gods than just the Egyptian gods." Akhnamkanon began, and various gods appeared on the tablet, shifting across the surface. "Most religions are based off living gods. There are some that do not, but the point is there are hundreds of gods. In the Afterlife, they prefer the term deities, as they are a race of sorts."

"How can this be?" Atem frowned. "How can there be so many gods? Did not the Creator of Light… well, create the world? I have heard of other gods referred to as the creator deity of a particular sect, but they are quite obviously not the Creator of Light."

Akhnamkanon sighed. "No. The singular God created the world, Atem. And He created the other deities."

Atem's eyes widened in shock. "The singular God?"

"Yes. The God of Abraham. He created the other deities because humans were not wise enough yet to accept the idea that there could only be one God." Akhnamkanon waved his hand, and the tablet cleared again. "The deities were to help these souls by providing a means to reach the Afterlife without trying to understand the vast powers, the very impossibility, of a singular God."

"What do you mean, reach the Afterlife?" Atem frowned.

"You don't know, because you were afforded a special passageway to skip it, but souls, upon their death, enter the Underworld. There, they start at the Halls of Judgment. The Afterlife is not for everyone; there are many souls who reject it." He lifted his hand, and a set of scales appeared on the tablet, along with several other methods of measurement. "In the Halls of Judgment, a soul is judged according to the motives of their heart." Akhnamkanon turned to Atem. "Depending on which deities the soul believes in, those deities will preside over the trial. The difference is superficial; there have been no cases where one deity would accept a soul where others would not."

"What happens then?" Atem asked, his eyes fixed on the tablet.

"If the soul is shown as worthy, they are sent a Messenger. Messengers are the servants of the deities, and usually appear as the deity's favored animal. In the case of the singular God, His Messengers are angels." Akhnamkanon waved again, and the tablet showed a vast wasteland of shadows. "These Messengers guide the soul through the Underworld to the Afterlife. A soul may still go astray, however. The Underworld is devious, and the denizens clever and powerful." Akhnamkanon shook his head, and the tablet went blank. "Those souls suffer the same fate as those who did not pass the trial of Judgment."

"And what is that?" Atem hesitated to ask.

"To wander the Underworld for eternity." Akhnamkanon looked up. "But enough. The Afterlife has many pleasures to enjoy, before you sleep."

"Sleep?" Atem was caught off guard.

"The eternal slumber." Akhnamkanon got to his feet, and the tablet disappeared. Atem arose as well. "You see, the Afterlife does little but ease a soul to its true rest. Many are not willing to give up life, and though they are deserving of the eternal slumber, they often reject it." He strode to the door, and his son followed. "There are, however, other options. One is to become a Messenger and help souls reach the Afterlife, one is to return to the mortal world and be reborn, and you may also merge with your ka to become a Beast."

Atem nodded.

"You will not be stopped if you want to enter the Underworld, either, but no one has ever done that." Akhnamkanon spread his arms to gesture at the vast city. "As you can see, souls would rather not be alone in paradise, though I doubt you will find many souls as old as we are."

"Why is that? Have they all gone to the eternal slumber?" Atem asked as he gazed around.

"Most. Many have become Messengers or have been reborn. But most wait for the promised day."

"The promised day?"

"The end of the world. Once this one is destroyed, the singular God will create a new one, and the Sleepers will become the first people of this new world. Being reborn means little – very rarely does someone turn out differently than they were when they were reborn, and they chance running into the end of the world, but because they will simply be judged in the next world by the same standards, it isn't exactly as though you are risking anything." Akhnamkanon paused, then shook his head. "Though, it could very well be possible that you end up in the Shadow Realm, doomed to wander for eternity, or some other soul-trap."

Atem's eyes widened, and he looked down.

"Because you spared so many souls that fate, not once, but four times, the doorway was afforded to you, that you might be brought here instantly. You may yet be judged, but souls in the Afterlife, close as they are to the deities, are often forgotten on matters such as yours."

Atem chuckled, amused.

Akhnamkanon turned. "You mentioned you do not have a body. You do… but it is still living."

His eyes widened. "You mean, Yugi's body is my body?"

"Yes." Akhnamkanon nodded. "Which means your room does not exist here yet. You may reside in mine." He clapped his hands, and closed his eyes. "Atem, you shall inherit my residence."

Atem frowned. "Father?"

Akhnamkanon looked somewhat sad. "My son… we waited for you, but I must apologize."

Atem gave a start. "You're leaving?"

"I am going to join the Sleepers in the eternal slumber. Do not fear, the others will be along shortly to say farewell." Akhnamkanon placed his hands on Atem's shoulders. "We just wanted to ensure you were given a proper welcome."

Atem looked down.

"My son…"

"No, I understand." He smiled quietly. "I would likely have gone to sleep soon anyway." He looked back at the room that was his father's, now his. "Five thousand years is a long time to wait for anyone, and I am deeply honored you chose to stay." He looked up. "Thank you, Father."

Akhnamkanon relaxed. "You are wise, my son, and I could not be more proud of you." They embraced briefly, and the others appeared.

Atem looked around, and was once again reminded of the absence of several of his servants. _They must have been reborn._

"Many chose to return to the mortal world, that they might be led by destiny to assist you." Akhnamkanon explained as Atem turned to what was left of his family and friends.

After they had finally begun to say their goodbyes, Atem turned one last time to his father. "What happens now?"

Akhnamkanon pointed to the building they had meandered towards. "The catacombs lie beyond, and the Sleepers within. This is where we say farewell, my son." He turned. "Fountains are everywhere; and they allow you to gaze into the mortal plane. Mahad dwells in the Dominion of the Beasts, as per his fate as the Dark Magician, and you may contact him by the favor of a deity." Atem glanced back at a fountain behind him and several people clustered around, then up at his father again as he spoke. "Priest Seto became Seto Kaiba. Shimon became Solomon Moto. Isis became Ishizu. Shada became Shadi, guardian of the Millennium Items."

"And… what of Mana?" Atem asked. His childhood friend was nowhere to be seen.

"She has yet to decide. She is currently on a mission for Thoth, deity of wisdom and magic." Akhnamkanon smiled. "She hasn't lost her fire, and I daresay she will be more than willing to stay until you go."

Atem relaxed. He had no grudge towards them for leaving so soon; five thousand years was indeed a very long time to wait. But it was nice to know he wouldn't be entirely alone, watching the mortal world from the Afterlife. "Good. When will she return?"

"It should not be long, but we have already bid her farewell." The former pharaoh lifted his hand. "Unless there is anything else…"

Atem hesitated, then ran to his father and embraced him one last time. "Thanks again for waiting, Father."

"Of course, Son." Akhnamkanon held him tightly. "I have always loved you, Atem."

"I have always loved you, Father."

And with that, they were gone, and Atem stood alone. He felt a call, and turned to see the fountain. _Wonder what Yugi's doing now…_


	2. Lonely Souls

After Beyond - Basically, what happens at the end of the series... with quite a bit of imagination. Wonder what you think of it.

Also, touches briefly on religion, so no hate me. No pairings except what you think you see.

* * *

Yugi and Téa were sitting in the café, and Yugi was chuckling. Téa pushed across a piece of paper, and Yugi picked it up. "What's this?"

"It's a ticket, to a play! I'm going to be in it, as a dancer. You don't have to come, but it'd be nice if you did." Téa offered almost too cheerfully.

Yugi nodded and tucked the ticket into his pocket. "Sure, Téa, I'd love to see your play!"

Both of them fell silent, feeling as though something was missing. When Téa realized Yugi had gone silent as well as she had, she sighed. "Yugi, just say it."

Yugi looked up in slight surprise, saw the sadness in Téa's eyes, then sighed back and said what they were both wishing. "I just wish the pharaoh could have seen it. He'd still be here."

_Atem looked around at the other vigilant souls. "There isn't a way to speak with them, is there?"_

"_No. Trust me, we've all tried."_

"_Figures."_

Téa looked down, then up again, determination replacing her loss. "Well, I'm sure wherever he is, he's thinking of us. I bet if we try really hard to have fun, he'll know it. Heck, if we concentrate, he might even see it with us."

Yugi smiled weakly. _That might work while we're still alive, but I don't think the Afterlife works the same way._

"It's worth a shot." Téa persisted.

Yugi nodded. "Okay, I'll give it a try." He got up. "Let's go."

"Right."

Atem felt a jerk in his heart and knelt, leaning on the edge of the pool. He had had that feeling ever since he'd lost the duel to Yugi, which freed his soul, but it wasn't freedom. _I didn't want to leave them._ He had known it would be tough from the very beginning, but he had expected the Afterlife to compensate. Instead, he felt worse.

He almost turned away, but the play was starting, so he continued to look on. _I'll watch. It's the closest thing to being there right now._

"Hey, PHARAOH!"

Atem jumped in shock as he was awoken, and looked up to see Mana.

She was laughing uncontrollably. "Did the mortal world bore you that much, Pharaoh? Figures, I mean, they can't really _do_ much down there, so it's not interesting unless something big is going on, right? After all– Oh, forget it, I can't believe you're here! Finally!" She squeezed him, and he was glad he didn't have to breathe anymore.

"Mana–" He tried, but she cut him off.

"You got shorter! How'd you get shorter? Oh, I know! Yugi, right? He's shorter than you, so when you joined souls, you got shorter! Oh, that's so funny!" She laughed again.

"Mana–"

"Just wait, there's so much you can do here! Don't sit around the fountain! You've got so much favor, heck, you can do whatever you want!"

"Mana, what are you talking about?"

She released him, and he dropped, then worked his way back up again. "Oh, I'm sorry, how rude of me!" She helped him up. "I'm talking about favor. Don't hang out with these stiffs, they're too lazy to try anything. Come on, I'll show you." And she was dragging him away.

"Mana… where are we going?" He asked, glancing back at the other souls, but none of them seemed to care.

"To the temple of the Egyptian gods. In the old days, when more of the world worshipped the Egyptian gods, they had several temples for the major deities, but now they've only got one. But that doesn't change the fact that you still have a huge amount of favor with them." She stopped in front of a large temple and let go of Atem, who stumbled. "In there."

"How does favor work, anyway? You sound like it's a bargaining chip." Atem frowned. Surely the concept of favor was not so…

"Well, it is." She shrugged and opened the door. "Come on."

"Won't we be disturbing them?" He asked, hesitating at the entrance as she plunged into the dimly lit hall.

"Of course not, silly. Hey, Thoth, wake up! I wanna chat!"

Atem barely stifled a squeak and took cover behind the door, and light streamed out past him. _"If it's not about the pharaoh, then wait. I'm busy."_

"But it _is_ the pharaoh, silly! Your senses must be getting dull. He's right– hey, Pharaoh, get in here!"

There was a slight pause, then, _"You know, you might have told him about how we work before bringing him. You've forgotten that the mortal world treats us very differently than… well, than you do. Even the Afterlife has gotten a bit distant since the old days."_

"Pharaoh! Come on!" Mana appeared around the corner to find Atem frozen against the wall. "Oh really, it's not dangerous!" She grabbed his wrist and dragged him into the hall. Atem resisted and shut his eyes, and Mana sighed. "Good grief, Pharaoh! Just come on!"

"_There is no rush, Mana. But if you really want him to meet me now… then let me deal with it."_

Atem felt a cool presence and tried to think about why Mana would have acted the way she did. She was entirely too familiar with everyone, but even she had respected the gods. Now, she acted as though they were friends, and good old ones at that. And since she still existed, that would have to mean that the gods didn't completely reject that. Which would mean that…

He let one eye open hesitantly, then blinked and stared with both eyes. Thoth was an ibis. Which should have been obvious, because the ibis, along with the baboon, was Thoth's favored animal.

The ibis cooed softly and flapped its wings. _"That's better. Really, the way you were cowering made me feel like I was Sobek."_ Thoth strutted back into the temple. _"Come. We have much to discuss, Pharaoh."_

Atem followed, feeling dazed. Mana prodded him. "It's not nice to stare, Atem, even at a deity."

He flinched and looked down hastily.

"_Mana, you aren't helping."_ Thoth turned, and Atem stopped so fast that Mana nearly ran into him. _"But Pharaoh, this is starting to get ridiculous. For the soul who commanded the Egyptian Gods in battle, I'd think_meeting_one would not be so shocking for you."_

Atem kept his gaze averted. "Forgive me; this whole thing is still rather new for me."

Thoth seemed appeased. _"It's natural, I suppose. It's been quite a while since we've had a new Egyptian soul, so the fault is ours as well; we tend to forget that not all denizens of the Afterlife are used to the presence of deities."_ He strutted away to a large, low altar that looked more like a table, the way it was strewn with books, scrolls, inks, and quills. _"Mana, have you explained how favor works, yet?"_

"No, I brought him 'cos you're better at that." Mana followed, dragging Atem along. "Oh, cool! That looks like Shadi's work!"

"_It is."_ He hopped up onto the altar and several quills leapt up, beginning to write as he flipped through one of the books. _"Now, as you have obviously noticed, Mana is speaking to me as though we are friends."_

"We are." Mana folded her arms childishly.

"_Be that as it may, she has helped deities almost nonstop for five thousand years. This grants her certain… liberties, and glorifies her ka in the Dominion of the Beasts."_

"The Dark Magician Girl." Atem noted.

"_Indeed. Both of them have been extraordinarily helpful. Mana is practically a Messenger, except that she serves as many deities as need her, rather than just one."_

"So–" Thoth cut him off with a glare, and Atem dropped his gaze.

"_You are a unique case in that you have sacrificed much to serve us. Your entire life was combating the darkness that arose in several forms, preventing any need for us to step in. In this way, we allowed you to skip the Halls of Judgment, as it was clear your heart would have passed the test in any case."_ Thoth hopped off the altar and grew into a man, though his head remained that of an ibis. The quills dropped back onto the table, but nothing was spilled. _"You are even more unique in that you have no ka."_

Atem gave a start. "No ka? What do you mean, Thoth?" Mana asked, baffled. "Everyone has a ka!"

"_Not this one. And he is the only one to have no ka."_ Thoth's eyes remained fixed on Atem's, keeping him pinned. _"Rather… he_is_his ka."_

Atem's eyes widened, and Mana gasped. "No way!"

Thoth reached out and touched Atem's forehead, and the world suddenly tipped as a fierce fury erupted inside him. Atem swayed and nearly fell, but Mana caught him. "What was that for, Thoth?" She demanded. "Pharaoh! Are you ok?"

"_And that proves it."_ Thoth turned away. _"And his ka is unlike anything I have ever seen."_

"Wait, you just said he didn't have a ka!"

Thoth shrugged. _"It's difficult to explain to a mortal."_

Mana rolled her eyes. "That's your excuse for everything. Pharaoh?" She looked back down. "Pharaoh, can you hear me?"

Atem touched his forehead, wincing as he tried to absorb the incredible power of the rage he had felt. Or was it rage? It felt more like… frustration.

"_Looks like it cannot manifest properly. Pharaoh,"_ Thoth turned back. _"You will never be able to rest. As a ka, as a_magical creature_, you should not even be in the Afterlife."_

"No way!" Mana gasped, her arms tightening around Atem, who tried to rise.

"What are… you going to do, Thoth?" He asked quietly.

"_Free it. But as per the laws of the Afterlife, you must leave. I apologize; denying you the prize we promised you from the beginning is most unfair. But if my plan succeeds –which they always do– you may yet be able to rest. The Afterlife isn't the only place of sleep for a weary soul."_

Atem watched him raise his hand, lights flickering in his palm. Mana stiffened. "Then I'm going too! I'll merge with the Dark Magician Girl."

Thoth paused. _"Are you certain?"_

She nodded, her eyes glinting in determination. "We had already decided we would, if the pharaoh decided to merge with his ka. This is the same thing."

"_Different, but I suppose the difference is superficial at this point. Very well."_

Yugi woke up, and for a moment, he thought it was a dream. "Pharaoh? You there?"

But then he remembered, and he closed his eyes again. Atem's face came so easily to mind it felt as though his eyelids were mirrors, showing him what he wished was still inside him. His eyes snapped open, and he wiped them. "He's gone, Yugi, and you can't get him back." He sat up, steeling himself to face the day. They were out of school until the fall – Yugi had enrolled in college for that fall, Téa with him.

Joey had decided against it. His grades were low enough already, and in any case, duel monster tournaments were still going strong, and along with a part-time job here and there, he could exist as easily as anyone else. Yugi, for his part, had gone mostly because he couldn't pick up his deck without breaking down.

He glanced at it, then turned away, glaring at the far wall as he tried to keep his tears down. _No. You can't keep crying over him. He's gone, off resting, as he should be. He deserves it. And it's not like you won't ever see him again._

_But he's… so far away…_ Yugi clapped his cheeks and strode firmly to the door. _I have to be strong for him. If he's watching and he sees me crying, he might try to come back, and we can't have that. Even if he doesn't, I don't want to worry him._ He strode down the stairs and out the door to check the mail.

Atem was standing there, a phantom dressed as a pharaoh, leaning on the mailbox and gazing up at the sky.

"Pharaoh?" Yugi gasped, and Atem turned, his eyes meeting Yugi's…

And then he was gone.

Yugi just stared, unable to move for a good five minutes. Finally, hearing his grandfather moving around in the shop, he shook his head. _Wow, Yugi. You really need to get over him._

He got the mail and headed back, flicking through the letters. Three were from colleges he had applied at. Now, all he needed to do was check with Téa to see which colleges had accepted her to figure out which one to sign up for. One had no return address, though, and was simply marked for 'the King of Games'. Curious, he set the others on the counter vaguely, and Solomon got right to work. When he noticed his grandson was still holding a letter, he asked, "Who's that one from, Yugi?"

"It doesn't have an address." He frowned, then glanced up at the door. _Did I really see him, then?_ He opened the letter.

To the King of Games:

You have been cordially invited to participate in a Duel Monsters tournament to be held at an undisclosed location. The winner will receive $3 million dollars, an exclusive card, and a trip to the Dominion of the Beasts.

To accept, place the enclosed card in your field card zone twice: once, when you accept the invitation, and again July 4, at noon local time. We'll take care of the rest.

Best of health, and hope to see you then!

"Well? What's it say, Yugi?"

"I'm being invited to a tournament." Yugi wasn't thrilled. He couldn't even walk outside without having hallucinations of someone who wasn't there. "But how do they know about the Dominion of the Beasts, I wonder…?" He mused, and his grandfather was left baffled.

"This sounds _great_!" Joey exclaimed after reading the letter. "Yuge, ya just gotta accept, pal! I hope dey remembered ta send one a' dese bad boys my way." He looked back at Yugi to see his friend gazing out across the sea, lost in thought. "Yuge? Ya okay, pal?"

"I don't know, Joey. I don't think I can. I haven't even touched my deck since we got back."

"Ya gotta do dis. Look," Joey grasped his shoulders. "Ya can't give up, just 'cos 'e's gone!"

"But I just don't feel the heart of the cards anymore." Yugi shook his head. "I can't. Ever since he left…"

"Den think of it as fightin' fer him, Yuge. Ta remember 'im."

Yugi gave a start and looked up.

"Instead a' mopin' around all da time, ya gotta start livin' on ya own. Dat's what dat entire duel was all about, Yuge, so you could prove ta da pharaoh dat you can live on ya own. But ya gotta follow through on it, or you're jus' lettin' 'im down. Make dis da way ta remember 'im by, an' make every move ya make be fer him. Trus' me, it'll 'elp."

Yugi gazed up into Joey's eyes. _Could that… work…?_

_I don't know… I seem to be worse off than I thought I'd be…_

_It's worth a shot. I'll be moving on… but not without him._

_I guess that's what really frightens me… getting over him…_ Yugi smiled weakly. "Okay." He turned back to the letter and lifted the card, which was a blank magic card. He looked down at his arm, then back. "I forgot my dueldisk." Which wasn't entirely true; he hadn't been able to pick it up any more than he could his deck.

"Den let's go get it."

Yugi chuckled as any last chance of slipping out at the last minute was squashed. Joey walked him all the way home, and he went upstairs to grab it while Joey perused the shop.

As he entered, he saw the pharaoh again, once again with his back to Yugi, reaching for the dueldisk. Yugi blinked, and he was gone. Yugi sighed and stayed where he was. _I'll never get better at this rate._ He leaned against the wall, but when Joey called up to see where he was, he straightened. "I'll be right down," He called back, and forced himself to approach the disk and the deck. On an impulse, he lifted the top card.

It was the Dark Magician.

Hundreds of images, of every time he and the pharaoh had played it… of Mahad and the Shadow Game that was Atem's final task… of the battle between himself and the pharaoh, in the last part of the ritual to open the door…

He shut his eyes and put the card back. _Please, Heart of the Cards… I'm going to need all the help I can get._ He picked it up, and this time, he wasn't overcome, though the feeling certainly did try. He pushed the deck into the dueldisk and lifted it, sliding it onto his arm. On an impulse, he drew the Dark Magician again. _I know I'm not the pharaoh, and I'll never be the pharaoh. But please… Mahad… give me strength._

"Are ya comin' or not, Yugi?" Joey demanded from the doorway, and Yugi turned.

"I guess so."


	3. Entering the Dominion

After Beyond - Basically, what happens at the end of the series... with quite a bit of imagination. Wonder what you think of it.

Also, touches briefly on religion, so no hate me. No pairings except what you think you see.

* * *

He felt as though he was frozen, at least most of him. He stirred, and could tell that at least his head and his chest weren't trapped. Someone spoke nearby.

"Pharaoh, open your eyes. It's okay, this happens to every new magical beast."

He tried to open his eyes and found it harder than he had expected. He blinked, trying to clear the blurry double-vision that meant his eyes were out of focus, and found he couldn't. Wincing, he closed his eyes again and let his head fall.

"Don't worry, the effects are only temporary." A hand touched his shoulder, and he tried opening his eyes again. A figure swam in his vision, and he felt a hand under his chin, lifting it, but he still couldn't see properly.

He tried to speak, and found a similar resistance, and could barely eke out two words. "…can't… see…?"

"To be honest, the longer you take to recover from the transition, the stronger you are. It's sort of a tradeoff. You seem to be very powerful, Pharaoh. Maybe even on par with the Legendary Knights… or like Thoth said, at the level of a deity."

He felt his body start to wake up, and blinked again. The face was a little clearer, but he still didn't recognize it.

"I'm going to summon the Knights. They might be able to help you ease the transition." And then she was gone, and his head dropped back onto his chest.

It seemed like an age before they had returned, and though his vision had improved enough to clear, it was still showing double, and the world kept tipping oddly. Occasionally, he would receive a wave of strength, and surge up, but the crystal still held most of his body trapped, and he would remain trapped. He doubted he would get out anytime soon.

"Pharaoh?"

The voice made him look up, and this time, he could tell there were more, though it was mostly due to the fact that he saw way more images than he had eyes. He tried to count, but gave said she would bring the Legendary Knights of Atlantis, meaning they are with her. But they can't be the only ones she brought…He closed his eyes, then opened them again, but had no better luck.

"And how long did you say he's been in there?" A surprised voice asked.

"This is his second day. I got out a few hours ago."

"Really?" He whistled. "That's impressive. He still can't even see straight."

Atem blinked and looked down. He tried to summon the strength to speak, but he could tell it wouldn't be any better than before.

"Do you think you could help him out?"

Another voice spoke. "That would be unwise. First of all, there's no rush; it's not like there's an incredible evil about to destroy us. With a power of his magnitude, you want to give him as much time as possible to recover. Releasing him early will allow him to have a lesser form, which is an excellent tactical advantage, but too early may make it impossible for him to reach his fullest potential. We really don't need another Exodia."

Atem stirred and raised his head again. "Ex…odia…?"

"He's at Exodia's level?" A third male voice exclaimed.

"Well, take a look. Even Exodia was giving more than one-word statements by now. And the pharaoh's still barely conscious."

"True."

"Best thing is to leave him for now. And congratulations on your evolution, Chaos Magician Girl."

"Ehhh, just call me Mana, please. That's a little long." She laughed, then looked back. "Well, if we're not going to free him, then I'll stay here with him."

"If you want to give him a lesser form, then contact us once he can carry on a conversation, see straight, and his legs are at least halfway unfrozen."

"In the meantime, I'd like to get back to that little duel we were having."

"You want to go back? You were losing, admit it."

"Ha! You just don't want me to wipe the floor with you."

"As if you could, Hermos."

"You'd better keep your eyes open, Critias, or you'll find yourself on your back with no idea how you got there."

With that, the voices faded, and Atem let his head drop back onto his chest, his eyes closing.

"Pharaoh, I'll wait for you. I've waited five thousand years, and I'll wait forever if I have to." Mana murmured as she floated beside her best friend. "I'll always be here for you."

"Th…thanks, Mana." He mumbled as the darkness swept him away.

"Hey, Yuge! Guess what!"

Yugi looked up in some surprise as his name was called. He and Téa were in the café again, so the fact that Joey had found him was the first shock. When he realized Joey had company, he found himself staring. "Kaiba?"

"Don't bother asking. It's not worth my telling."

"Well, it is ta me, Rich Boy." Joey shot back, then ran forward and slammed his hands down on the table. "Well? Give up yet?"

Yugi frowned. "Why are you wearing a dueldisk? Are you in a tournament?"

"Bingo. Guess which one."

Yugi's eyes widened, and he reached into his pocket, pulling out the blank spell card. "This one?"

"An' he scores again! You bet I'm in it! An' guess who else is in da tournament." He gave an exaggerated glance in Kaiba's direction.

"No way! You too, Kaiba?" Yugi exclaimed.

"A secret tournament with a bunch of mumbo-jumbo about magic? Of course I'm in it. They always seem to pop up around me."

"Whatever you say." Yugi chuckled wryly. "So, have you played the cards yet?"

"Yup. An' da same thing happened ta us. Da crazy baboon told us when ta really play our cards, an' dat we'll get a ride out ta this mystery island a' theirs." Joey shrugged. "Kinda boring, actually."

Yugi looked up at Kaiba. "So you're okay with this?"

"I'm curious, but don't take that as blind trust." Kaiba snorted. "I've come for a different reason, though."

"What's that?" Yugi frowned. "Is something wrong?"

What surprised everyone was that Kaiba hesitated to speak, and that he looked somewhat unsettled. Finally, he grunted, "Forget it. I'm leaving." He turned and left, and they stared after him.

"What was all that about?" Téa wondered, baffled.

"I have no idea. That was sure strange." Yugi tried to think of what could be disturbing Kaiba, but nothing came to mind. "He seemed almost freaked out by something, but I can't think what could have upset him like that."

"Well, whatever." Joey shrugged, then looked down, as if suddenly realizing that Yugi and Téa were sitting together in a café… alone. A sly smirk appeared on his face, and he bent down, whispering something in Yugi's ear.

Téa watched curiously, and blinked in surprise as Yugi went bright red. "That's not what I…!"

"I'm just sayin', it sure looks like dat from where I'm standin'." Joey winked and strode off, and Yugi watched him go, looking worried about something.

"What'd he say to you?" Téa asked hesitantly.

"He said we're on a date, but…" He still seemed uncertain. "I'm not quite sure what to make of what else he said."

"What else did he say?"

Yugi seemed to realize he'd spoken aloud and hadn't meant to, and went red again. "Nothing. Don't worry about it, Téa."

"Yugi?"

He shook his head, and she was left to wasn't embarrassed enough about being on a date, though. Is that a good thing? He sure seems rattled.

What did Joey say to him?

Atem stirred as he felt a hand on his shoulder, and raised his head, opening his eyes. A monster that looked like the Dark Magician Girl was floating there, but she was different; her hair was dark brown, and her skin was tanned. Her clothing was also a different color scheme: midnight blue with neon green lining, though it was just as attention-seeking as the Dark Magician Girl's.

He blinked. "Mana?"

She brightened. "Hey, Pharaoh! How are you feeling?"

He thought about it. "A little dizzy." He decided truthfully, and looked down. "I'm still frozen."

"Yep, but you're close to the point where we can release you." She patted his shoulder. "Then you'll be a real magical beast."

He frowned and examined himself more closely, then looked up. "But I'm still human."

"Yeah, that's what you appear to be." She folded her arms. "But realize that a pharaoh is dressed extravagantly enough. And besides, there are a whole bunch of humanoid monsters, so don't think you're original."

He frowned.

Mana seemed to guess what he was about to say. "Yeah, pretty much every other monster is different from their host, but remember, youareyour ka, so maybe this is how it's manifesting." She shrugged.

"That's what I don't understand." He shook his head and tugged on his arm, which was still buried up to his elbow. "How could I be my ka? I was born of humans, so how can I not be human?"

"I think it has to do with the relationship between ka and human." Mana crossed her legs as though sitting, and put her staff in her lap, which was at least double the length of the Dark Magician Girl's staff. "Thoth explained it to me once, let's see if I can remember exactly what he said…"

"Well, while you're at it, explain how I managed to go my entire life without anyone finding out, and how I was able to enter the Afterlife if kas cannot enter."

"Kas aren't unable to, they're just forbidden to. We have a different world." Mana looked up. "You see, monsters are formed from the power of souls, usually upon birth, and develop as their souls develop." She straightened, lifting her staff. "I don't know how you existed without anyone finding out, but I think that because you skipped the Halls of Judgment, that was how you got into the Afterlife."

"Thoth recognized me very quickly, though."

"No, I don't think so. He's one of the most intelligent deities, and I don't think he realized you were a ka until he tried to look for your ka. Otherwise he would have said something immediately." Mana tapped her staff against her shoulder thoughtfully. "And even now, even though you're more than halfway uncovered, I still can't sense how powerful you are. It's an interesting paradox, for sure."

"Or maybe I'm just weak." He muttered.

"No, or you would have been freed already." Mana shook her head. "This crystal is a representation of your power. The longer it takes to melt, the more powerful you are. You should feel honored; the Egyptian god monsters would have been almost completely free by now. If you were really only as powerful as I can sense, you would've come out faster than Kuriboh. I'm not even sure you would have even been in crystal in the first place."

He rolled his eyes. "I'm absolutely thrilled. Instead of actually getting some rest, I'm back where I started, with yet another puzzle to figure out."

"Oh, come on, Pharaoh, did you really want to stay in the Afterlife?" Mana asked keenly, her eyes fixed on his. "Everyone else was either reborn or went to sleep. None of them waited, except to say goodbye again." Her eyes narrowed, and suddenly the playful Mana wasn't there anymore. A spirit, with thousands of years of experience, had replaced her, pinning Atem with her hard gaze. "You regretted it the instant you stepped through the door. You got to say goodbye a second time. But who wants to do that? You wished they had stayed, or that you could have stayed with Yugi a little longer. At leasthedidn't want you to go."

Atem gave a start and broke his gaze, looking down. It had been on his mind, how quickly the others had abandoned him, leaving him completely empty, without any relief to turn to. Sure, he knew they had waited a long time, and it wasn't exactly fair to expect more, but he had left Yugi to see them again.

And for maybe an hour, hardly worth what he had given up.

"But…"

"No buts. It's obvious. And now you have a chance to return to Yugi. Are you going to throw that away?"

Atem looked up, wondering how she could have known exactly what was in his heart. His eyes asked the question, and she prodded him in the chest with her staff. "I know you, Pharaoh. We're friends, remember? Besides, you're not the only one who's lived for five thousand years, and you weren't even conscious for most of it!"

He smiled and bowed his head in submission. "You're right."

Then the Mana he knew came back. "Well ofcourseI'm right! You seem pretty much ready. You have any more questions?"

"Yes. You never explained exactly how I could be my ka."

"Oh, come on, Pharaoh! I've lived for five thousand years, but not even Thoth has come across someone like you!" She folded her arms petulantly. "I'm not all-knowing."

"You'd have a theory, and your theory will be more than any of my guesses." He pointed out.

She laughed. "Okay, fine. I think you may have merged with your ka at birth. But since merging with your ka has to be a conscious decision, that means you were aware either right at the point of birth, maybe right before it. But that would have caused your body to reject you. You would have been far too powerful for your vessel to contain."

Atem gave her a sideways look. "You just told me that I made the decision as a baby, and then you said that was impossible."

"You were the one who wanted my theory. Look, you didn't merge with your ka later in life, because it would have been a whole lot more obvious. Not to mention you wouldn't have been surprised to find out you were your ka. You could try to pin the blame on the Millennium Items, which were created very close to when and where you were born, possibly giving your soul a glimpse into the future enough to give you the will to choose to be your ka, but that's a very long shot, since neither Mahad nor I were affected in the same way. Yeah, we both chose to merge with our kas later on, but that's too far off to pin under the same coincidence."

Atem sighed and closed his eyes, feeling a flicker of exhaustion. "Okay…" He mumbled, and felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Sorry. If we knew how, we might be able to fix it." She sighed. "You're really tired, aren't you, Pharaoh? It really isn't fair, the way he kicked you out, right after you got there."

"It's not that." He shook his head and looked up to find her gazing into his eyes with a knowing look.

"No, you're tired of everyone taking everything away from you." She leaned close, resting her forehead against his. "Darkness trying to consume your kingdom from the moment you sat on the throne, being told to wait five thousand years for a second chance, given a couple side quests on top of your purpose… then, when you finally finish everything you were asked to do, you don't even get to rest, instead told that because of something you don't even remember, you've been ripped right back out and told you can't come back."

He relaxed under her touch, his eyes closing as he felt her cool skin against his. "It wasn't all bad…" He said quietly. "The people I met along the way…"

"Bet you're wishing you hadn't stepped through that door."

He looked up.

"Well, as frustrating as Thoth can be, he's right – the Afterlife isn't the only place you can find rest." She backed up. "Friends can be a huge help. Now, let's get you out." She spun her staff.

"Are you sure you want to release me now?" Atem asked. "What if –by waiting– we release my true form?"

She paused, then shook her head. "You'd be changing by now. Besides, I doubt it'd be that easy to unlock you if Thoth couldn't." She thrust out her staff, and the crystal cracked.

Atem felt a shock race from the crystal straight into his heart, and into his head. His eyes snapped open, and the shock seemed to grow in strength, rather than diminish. His eyes widened further, but he could no longer see anything. He leaned forward as far as he could, and the shock pulsed. The crystal cracked further, and another pulse caused it to spread.

Mana stared at the wall of crystal. The incredible power, which still refused to reveal its presence, was betrayed as the lines spread throughout the wall, rather than staying around the source. She gasped. She had never seen a power so big.

The shock was suddenly released, and the resulting explosion of power threw Mana back against the far wall and caused an enormous portion of the wall to collapse.

The power seemed to double back, retreating into the lone figure, floating above the mess. The frustration returned. He couldn't get it out! He gritted his teeth, suddenly consumed by frustration as he tried to release the power within, but it just couldn't manifest. His form was too limited. He pressed against the edges, but nothing worked.

Mana looked up, wondering if there would be another explosion, and stared at the size of the crater he had left. "F… Pharaoh…?"

For a moment, she saw the power racing in lines, crackling around him in its attempt to manifest, but, rather anticlimactically, it vanished. He fainted, dropping right out of the air. She raced forward. "Pharaoh!" She caught him just before he hit the floor, and carried him aloft, staring down at him in I still can't sense anything!

Thoth said he was planning to free the pharaoh's ka. Is this what he meant? Is the pharaoh somehow unable to call upon his own power?

Yugi looked over at Joey, who looked back. "Well, here goes." He placed his card into the field card zone, and Joey played his at the same time. For a moment, it seemed as though nothing had happened, but then Joey looked around.

"What the…? Yuge, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore!"

"No kidding. What is this place?" He looked around at what looked like a college campus, which was almost deserted. Across the way, though, he saw Kaiba, and hurried across. "Kaiba! Do you know where we are?"

Kaiba turned as they approached, and shook his head. "I don't recognize it. And I haven't been here long, either."

"Great. Neither have we." Yugi looked around. "Do you have any idea what we're supposed to do?"

"Hey, Yugi! Come look at dis!"

They turned to see that Joey had stopped, looking into one of the buildings. Yugi ran over, Kaiba striding along behind him. "What did you find, Joey?" Yugi asked as he approached his friend.

"Look." Joey pointed. "A school for Duel Monsters!"

Yugi blinked at him, then looked in the window to find that Joey was at least partially correct; the people inside were dressed like Duel Monsters. "They're all humans, though." Yugi frowned. "I mean, they could be, but if they were, wouldn't there be a few… well,monsters, not just warrior- and spellcaster-type monsters?"

"Dunno, but I'm gonna go ask." Joey found a door and ran to it, yanking it open. "Hello? Anyone in 'ere?" He called, and Yugi gasped and chased after him.

"Joey, if they're in school, you don't want to interrupt their classes! If theyareDuel Monsters, then you don't want to get them mad! We still don't even know what we're supposed to be doing here!"

"Relax, Yuge, dey invited us 'ere didn' dey?" He thence proceeded to pound on the nearest door, and Yugi winced.

"Joey–"

"Leave him. It's obvious they haven't prepared a welcoming committee."

"But–"

The door opened, and Joey nearly fell through. "Hey, sorry ta disturb ya, but we was wonderin' when an' where an' everything else about da tournament?" He managed to sound respectful enough as a Queen's Knight appeared at the entrance.

She looked surprised. "Humans?" She paused, then frowned. "And three very particular humans at that. But there isn't a tournament for…" She hesitated, then looked past him. "Nightfire! How is your Alpha?"

"She merged with her soul, didn't you hear?" 'Nightfire' was a Dark Magician Girl. She beamed, as though what she had said was good news. The Queen's Knight nodded approvingly.

"Excellent. Now, might I ask a favor, Nightfire? As you can see, three humans have wandered into our world. Luckily, it seems as though they wandered into the human-type academy first – will the illusionist class be able to handle this?"

Nightfire examined the three for a moment, and Yugi gave a start. "We're not trespassing or anything! Or at least if we are, it's unintentional. Please, can you help us? We were given these invitations…" He pulled out his magic card and stopped, staring at it. It had become a blank monster card.

Both monsters jumped in shock and retreated hastily. "Poachers?" The Queen's Knight gasped, and several of the students made startled noises, getting up and coming to the door.

Yugi looked around, completely confused. "Poachers?" He echoed blankly.

Kaiba lifted his own card, and his eyes narrowed. "What trickery is this? It was a magic card a few moments ago."

Joey pulled out his own. "Huh. You're right, dey changed. Dat's odd. Why do ya think dey changed, Yuge?"

"I don't know, but I think we'd better put them away." Yugi put his card back into his pocket. "Look, we're not poachers. We were given invitations to a tournament, and this is where we ended up. We're not here to cause trouble, and if this was a mistake, then we'll leave." He held out his hands peacefully. "Please, we don't want any trouble."

Kaiba glanced around at the way they seemed frightened of the blank monster ? Could this be… the way Pegasus created Duel Monsters?He stowed the card in his pocket.

Yugi elbowed Joey, who finally put his away. "What he said."

Nightfire opened her mouth to speak, but then everyone felt a surge of power, like rolling thunder, in the distance. It was gone shortly afterward, but the students had started chatting amongst themselves. Yugi could only hear snippets of the conversation, but it sounded as though something amazing had happened.

"What was that?" He asked, looking up at Nightfire.

She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Well, do you know what happens when a monster first leaves the mortal world?"

"Uh…"

"They're encased in crystal." She raised her finger. "The crystal melts back depending on how powerful they are. The stronger the monster, the longer the crystal takes to melt. The alpha of the Dark Magician Girls, the ka of a soul named Mana, merged with Mana not too long ago, but Mana wasn't the only one to… 'cross over'." She grinned. "And that felt like we're in for a huge celebration."


	4. A Divine Prank

After Beyond - Basically, what happens at the end of the series... with quite a bit of imagination. Wonder what you think of it.

Also, touches briefly on religion, so no hate me. No pairings except what you think you see.

* * *

"We celebrate whenever a monster is born in the Dominion of the Beasts. Usually, only those of the same kind will celebrate a monster's birth. For example, only Kuriboh celebrate the birth of a Kuriboh. For some of the more powerful creatures, like Dark Magicians, there might be more of the monster type, in this case, spellcasters. But for big powers, like a Black Luster Soldier, or a Sorcerer of Dark Magic, or creatures of legendary status, anyone who feels their power will celebrate their birth."

They looked at each other. "And what kind of celebrations do you hold for such powerful monsters?" Yugi asked.

"Oh, all kinds. The celebrations usually last weeks, even months sometimes, depending on how anticipated the birth was, or how excited we are, or how busy we are. I'm guessing this one will last at least a month." She placed her hands on her hips. "I suppose I could talk to Mana about letting you guys see it…" She said slowly, then leaned forward, wagging her finger. "But you'll have to behave! And those cards will have to go. Maybe you don't know what they are, but they're blank because they haven't been synchronized with a monster yet. Which means you could absorb any one of us, then use us to duel."

"Wait, so are you saying Pegasus forced you guys into these cards?" Yugi exclaimed, horrified.

"No way!" Nightfire shook her head. "Pegasus was good about that. He got special permission, and only took those who were willing. But poachers are humans who come into our world with those horrid blank cards and absorb us without even asking." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a black stone, which Yugi recognized with a start.

"That's a Sage's Stone, isn't it?"

"Yep! So, you're a fan of us magicians, are you?" Nightfire grinned and lifted it. "Aktek, we've got humans." She set the stone on the ground and backed up, and a moment later, a Dark Magician appeared above it.

He spotted the humans instantly, and lifted his staff. "What is your business here?"

Nightfire shot between them, lifting a finger. "Hold on, Aktek, they're here in peace. At least, that's what they say." She glanced back. "If you really aren't poachers, put the cards on the ground and back up. Whoever gave them to you obviously intended for you to use them, but let's keep them away from the new monsters, 'kay?"

"They have monster cards?" Aktek seized her and pulled her aside, bristling. "How dare you!"

"Aktek!" Nightfire snapped hastily. "Hold on; let them prove they're friendly first!"

He hesitated, then lifted his staff. "Then place the cards on the ground, immediately!"

"Hey, ya could use some manners!" Joey growled back, taking up a defensive stance.

Yugi touched his arm. "Joey, we're the intruders. Just do what he says." He lifted his card, showing it carefully to Aktek before kneeling. For an extra touch –whether they knew the custom or not– he kept his left foot forward respectfully, and set the card on the ground. Slowly, the other two followed his example, and they backed away.

Aktek eyed them mistrustfully, but once they were clear of the cards, he relaxed. He lifted his other hand, and the cards lifted off the ground, folding on top of each other, and a box appeared around them, with magical symbols all over it. The box flew into his hand, and he lowered his staff.

"What is your business here?" He repeated, though his tone was slightly less hostile than before.

Yugi smiled in relief. "Well, you see, we got those cards, along with invitations to a Duel Monsters tournament. They didn't say we'd be sent to the Dominion of the Beasts, though, except as part of the prize." He looked down. "We don't know who's hosting it, who else is involved, when it's supposed to start, where we're supposed to be, or anything." He looked back up. "Could you help us?"

Aktek considered him for a long moment. "Whomever invited you sounds like they were intending to have you attend the ceremony of the beast that just formed. You must have felt its power; even the power of Exodia barely reaches the same level as this creature."

"Really?" Nightfire whispered in awe. "You remember Exodia's ceremony, right?" She looked over at the Queen's Knight, who looked thoughtful.

"Yes… he quite literally made a crater when they broke him out. It's a pity he was broken out too soon, though."

"Yeah. I think this one was broken out late enough, though." Nightfire cupped her chin and elbow thoughtfully. "Well, why don't we ask Mana? She knows the deities very well; I'm sure she can at least ask what we're supposed to do with them."

Aktek was quiet for a moment. "She was the one who broke this new monster out. Likely, she is tending to it, which means she will be busy for a while. Creatures of that magnitude cannot simply be broken out and expected to be fully recovered."

"Oh." Nightfire looked down, then back up. "What about the Dark Magician's Alpha? He'd know what to do, right? He may not know the deities as well as Mana, but he'd know more than we do."

"Perhaps." Aktek inclined his head, then raised his staff. "I will take them. In the meantime, you should let the new monsters help prepare for the celebration."

Before any of the humans could move, they were engulfed in shadows. The shadows retreated shortly afterward, but only partway – their new location was dim. Yugi blinked, his eyes widening to try to see in the gloom. What he could see surprised him.

Dark Magicians were everywhere, in many different color schemes, ranging from the color of their armor to the tint of their skin, to the color of their hair. There were even other forms, such as the Magician of Black Chaos, and he even spotted a Skilled Dark Magician. His eyes widened further as he stared in awe around the Temple of Dark Magic.

They had been gathered in small groups, speaking to each other in soft voices, but as the trio appeared with Aktek, silence fell so suddenly it was deafening. Yugi was in awe of the temple, but very quickly he felt uncertainty as the Dark Magicians gazed at the newcomers with unreadable expressions.

The silence continued until Joey couldn't take it. "Yuge, why are dey starin' at us?"

The silence was broken, at least enough for Yugi to say very quietly, "Well, I don't think humans wander into the Dominion of the Beasts every day, you know."

"Yeah, but dey're creepin' me out!" Joey ducked behind him, and even Kaiba felt a little unsettled by the continued silence.

Yugi looked back at Aktek. "Uh… what happens now, Aktek?"

When he didn't speak, Joey piped up. "Hey, he asked ya a question!"

Yugi looked around at the Dark Magicians again, then spoke softly. "I think we're just supposed to wait, Joey. I'm sure they'll explain."

As if on cue, the crowd parted, revealing a dark throne, occupied by a shadowy figure. The three turned towards this new monster, and Yugi got the strong feeling that the spirit itself was ancient. Not only that, but immensely powerful.

And very familiar.

The figure stirred, and eyes shone in the gloom. "Aktek, you know I don't like to be disturbed when I am sleeping." Aktek didn't speak, though, and the gaze switched to the three humans. Yugi felt as though it was piercing him to the core, and shuddered, looking down submissively.

We're in his dominion now.

The figure stirred, as though he had been sitting in that position for several hours, if not days. He uncurled, lifting off the throne and straightening, then stretching. As he did, Yugi felt the power wake up, though he had no idea how he could tell. It was as though the power was dormant, like a sleeping creature, and now, it was waking, and its attention was fixed solely on him. He stirred and looked at the other two, but neither of them seemed to sense what he was sensing. Joey was still looking around at the others, as though he couldn't even see the Dark Magician rising from the throne. Kaiba watched, but he seemed less unsettled than Yugi felt.

The Dark Magician strode forward, and the others fell back. As the shadows left him, Yugi realized that he recognized the Dark Magician. "Mahad!" He gasped in surprise, and instantly, the attention of every single magician was fixed on him.

He felt instantly ashamed, but he also felt as though he had been frozen, and couldn't have moved if he'd wanted to. Joey grabbed his shoulders and shook him. "Yuge, ya okay?"

Yugi seemed to be in a trance as he stepped forward, and the crowd parted for him. Joey watched him go, then ran after him. "Yuge! What are ya doin'?"

"Silence." Aktek said suddenly, and Joey looked up.

"But 'e's my friend! What'd ya do ta him?"

Aktek simply returned his gaze to Yugi, who had stopped in front of Mahad.

For a moment, there was silence as Yugi let his thoughts open, and he could feel Mahad's mind surround his own. Then, quite suddenly, he seemed to wake up, and looked around. "Wh…" He realized he was standing right in front of one, and looked up. "Mahad?" He gave a start and backed up. "Uh, sorry, I…"

Mahad shook his head. "The vessel of the pharaoh is welcome in our halls, Yugi. Your appearance was unexpected, but is not unwelcome." He turned to the other two. "Forgive us; we have a tendency to speak with each other through thoughts." He twirled his staff, and the room seemed to brighten, and the expressions of the other Dark Magicians seemed to clear, becoming more welcoming. "Now, may I ask how you ended up in the Dominion of the Beasts?"

All three relaxed visibly, and Yugi bowed in relief. "To tell you the truth, we're not even sure ourselves. All three of us received invitations to a Duel Monsters tournament, and given blank magic cards, which is probably how we got here." He looked back at Aktek. "But then they changed into monster cards, and we haven't found anyone to explain where, when, or evenifthere is a tournament in the first place."

Mahad folded his arms. "I see. And because Mana is busy with the newborn, you were brought to me." He turned, his eyes flicking about the room, then looked back, and Aktek lifted the box, opening it briefly. Mahad turned back to the humans. "Looks like you were either the victims of a divine prank, or they wanted you to celebrate the newborn's birth."

Yugi blinked. "Divine prank?" He asked, confused.

"Those cards were created by a deity." Mahad stated, as though that was supposed to explain everything. "You were brought here by a deity, and those are the two main reasons humans end up in our world." He shook his head. "We must discuss this with Mana."

"Mana… wait, you mean…"

"Yes, the Mana whose ka was Alpha of the Dark Magician Girls." Mahad inclined his head. "She has often spoken with the deities, and likely, she will have the information we need to figure out exactly why you have been brought to us."

Yugi relaxed, then asked, "Can you answer a bunch of other questions?"

Mahad cocked an eyebrow. "I'm guessing you want to know what an Alpha is."

"Well, yeah, but I have a bunch of other questions too. Like, who is the newborn, and how are Duel Monsters born, and do you mean the Egyptian god monsters when you say deities, and what do you mean by Mana's kawasAlpha?"

Mahad laughed. "I can't answer all of those questions, as I have my own preparations to begin, but I will give you a short answer, and Aktek can expound on these in a moment. An Alpha is the first of a kind. I am the Alpha of the Dark Magicians. Mana recently joined with her ka, similar to my fusion with my own ka, the Illusionist Magician." He turned. "And no, the Egyptian god monsters are not the deities I was talking about. If you'll excuse me, we must begin preparations." The other Dark Magicians stirred at this, and in moments, the humans were left alone, with Aktek.


	5. Reunited

After Beyond - Basically, what happens at the end of the series... with quite a bit of imagination. Wonder what you think of it.

Also, touches briefly on religion, so no hate me. No pairings except what you think you see.

* * *

Yugi turned to Aktek, who was looking a little grumpy about something. "So what are deities, what is this new Duel Monster, and how are Duel Monsters born?"

"Hold on, Yuge, I have a question first." Joey laid his hand on Yugi's shoulder, and stepped up. "What are _we_ supposed ta do?"

"And what if we don't want to celebrate this newborn?" Kaiba added.

Aktek's eyes narrowed as Kaiba spoke, but his voice was level as he replied. "It is worth being patient to witness the newborn." He thought for a moment, then raised his staff. "I will take you to the site where the celebration will be held."

They were engulfed in darkness again, and when it cleared, they were standing in a large field, dotted with trees and a few hills. There were already many monsters, moving back and forth as they lit fires, cast spells, and made merry in anticipation. The excitement literally vibrated through the air, and Yugi could feel it rise inside him like a balloon.

"Whoa, now dis is more like it!" Joey exclaimed, delighted, and bounced around the field, examining all the dishes and trying to slip a sample of several.

"Joey, try to behave! You might offend them if you try to eat before the celebration starts!" Yugi called, hurrying after him, but found that one of the monsters had pushed a bowl towards him.

"Do not concern yourself with it, Yugi." Aktek had followed. "For as large a celebration as this, there are no rituals we follow."

"You sure?" He looked up, still worried, but Aktek nodded reassuringly.

"He will not be in any danger of punishment." He turned back to Kaiba, who hadn't followed. "Whatever you may think to the contrary, you should consider it an honor to witness the birth of so great a monster. I know you are master of the Divine Dragon, but the monster that was just conceived dwarfs Lady Kisara in power."

Kaiba gave a start, his eyes widening, then narrowing. "Why should I believe you?"

Aktek gave him a skeptical look. "You cannot be much of a master if you cannot tell how much power the newborn has, and know how much power the Divine Dragon has." He shook his head. "That's disgraceful."

"Look, the only reason I'm here in the first place was because I was promised a duel. Since we're obviously not going to duel, then this whole thing has been a colossal waste of my time, and I have far too much on my plate to spare time for a lame birthday party."

Aktek seized the front of his shirt and dragged him forward so they were eye to eye. "You dare to ridicule a power stronger than that of the Egyptian god monsters, of Exodia, _human_?" He hissed, his eyes hard as steel. "Shall we duel, since you obviously have no time for celebration? How long do you think you will last, _human_?"

"Hold on," Yugi called hesitantly, coming up next to them. "Aktek, let's not pick a fight–"

"He asked for it." Aktek interrupted, and hurled Kaiba, who managed to land on his feet. Aktek took up a fighting stance. "Will you concede, or do you actually have a backbone?"

Kaiba reached for his deck. "You'll regret that."

Yugi groaned, looking on helplessly and wondering what they had gotten themselves into.

Atem stirred, and Mana gasped in delight. "You're awake!" She knelt beside him as he opened his eyes. "How are you feeling?"

He tried to sit up and got lightheaded. Mana helped him into a sitting position. "You'll be a little dizzy, I think, so just take it easy."

He touched his eyes briefly, then looked around. "Where are we?"

"This is the Temple of the Nameless Pharaoh. Your temple. You're the Nameless Pharaoh, a…" She considered him for a moment, then said, "A dark-attribute spellcaster-type monster."

"Really?" Atem sounded curious. "Can you tell what I'd be if I was a card?"

"I can give you a guess, but I won't know for sure. I wasn't the one who created the bond between Duel Monsters and the Dominion of the Beasts." She touched her chin thoughtfully, but before she could say anything, someone knocked, and she blinked in surprise. "Mahad! Why didn't you come in the normal way?" She added as he opened the door.

Atem brightened. "Mahad!"

"I didn't want to disturb the newborn–" Mahad froze, staring at Atem, who waved. "_Pharaoh_?"

"Yup! See, apparently he was a monster from the start, but no one found out until a few days ago, when he met Thoth, and even Thoth didn't recognize him right away." Mana shrugged. "So he got kicked out."

"_What_?" Mahad burst out, half furious and half shocked. "How? Why?"

"'Cos monsters aren't allowed in the Afterlife. We don't know how Atem was a monster, or how he went so long without being found out." Mana shrugged vaguely. "But have you _seen_ his place? It's enormous!" She beamed. "And the crater he left puts Exodia's to shame!"

Mahad looked impressed and disappointed at the same time. "Yes, he is powerful… but…" He looked down at Atem with an expression of having let him down. "You were supposed to be given the glories of the Afterlife."

Atem got up. "Apparently fate has other plans for me." He shrugged. "The Afterlife wasn't quite what I was hoping for, and in any case, it's not like I can reverse what happened." He stretched. "So, what brings you, Mahad? Come to greet the newborn?" He added in a slightly teasing manner.

Mahad hesitated, then gave in and chuckled. "To be honest, I was expecting you to end up here anyway. And congratulations, Pharaoh; putting Exodia to shame isn't exactly easy."

Atem shrugged modestly, and Mana grasped his hand. "Come on, Pharaoh, everyone's waiting for you to make your grand appearance."

"Wait, what? What appearance?" Atem yelped, caught off guard.

"Oh, it's not that bad, everyone likes to celebrate a huge power, and besides, all ya gotta do is show up and say hi, thanks, let the celebrations begin, etc. etc.–"

"How many people will there be?" Atem asked in consternation.

"Usually parties aren't a big deal, but since you dwarfed Exodia, I'm pretty sure the entire Dominion will be out to see–" Atem escaped her grip and she stopped, looking back to see Atem looking like he'd seen a ghost. "Oh, come _on_, you've talked to a _deity_! How much harder is it to talk to a nation? Besides, it's not like you've never done it before!"

"But that was different!" He protested, and felt hands push into his back. "Mahad?"

"Everyone has to do it." Mahad replied firmly. "We'll be here, but Mana has a point. All you have to do is greet everyone, thank them for coming, and tell them they can begin the celebrations. That's all. A lot of monsters like to drone on and on, but if you keep it short, it'll be over quickly."

"But…!" He protested helplessly as he was push-pulled out into the enormous chambers of his temple. He blinked, then looked around. "There's no one here."

"Of course, silly! This isn't where the celebration is going to be held." Mana let go, and Mahad stopped pushing. "This is your temple! Take a look. You still have a little time before you need to speak."

Atem looked around at the walls, covered in hieroglyphs, chronicling his past and his ascension to the monster known as the Nameless Pharaoh, the lesser form of a greater power. He touched the blank spot where the name would have gone, and it reminded him forcibly of how his own name had been hidden from him. "The Nameless Pharaoh, huh…?" He mused, then looked back. "Will there be others of my kind?"

Mana shook her head. "I really doubt it. If you were a monster from the start, then another would have been born already if there was going to be another one. Besides, your power is off the charts."

"This power that I'm supposed to have… how am I supposed to unlock it…?" He was speaking mostly to himself, but Mana answered anyway.

"Well, now that you're 'officially' a monster, you'll need a specific set of circumstances. Usually, you'd end up as either a ritual monster or requiring a specific sacrifice, if you were in Duel Monsters."

He turned. "All right, what's the connection between the Dominion of the Beasts and Duel Monsters?"

Her eyes widened, and she smiled. "That's a very complex subject, Pharaoh, and you really can't hang around much longer. It's not nice to make them wait, after so many will be waiting for you."

Mahad touched Mana's shoulder. "Trouble is brewing."

Mana looked up. "Who is it?"

"Feels like Aktek, though I cannot fathom his opponent. It _feels_ like Kisara…" He trailed off, then bent down, whispering something in Mana's ear.

Her eyes widened. "Why wasn't I told?"

He looked dryly amused. "You were busy."

"You were sleeping!"

"Well, whatever the case, they're here, and now–" They broke off, glancing in Atem's direction, as if it involved him somehow.

He was only surprised that they weren't telling him. Likely, they thought it would distract him from his 'big appearance'. He looked at both of them pointedly, then turned away dismissively, and they looked at each other.

"Pharaoh, it could be how you unlock your full power!" Mana sounded like she was trying to come up with an excuse.

Mahad nudged her. "We need to go, my Pharaoh."

Atem looked down. _If this is how my life is going to be, even my_death_… then I'd better just get used to it._ He turned. "Very well."

Kaiba drew a card and lifted it. "I call the Blue Eyes White Dragon!" He placed it on his dueldisk, but the dragon was already there, crouching over him protectively, and roared at Aktek, who bristled.

"You'd take his side, Kisara?" He demanded furiously.

"_He is my master. It may not be the smartest thing he has done, but he is my master nonetheless, and I will not question him."_

Yugi's eyes widened in surprise. _That's right, we're in the Dominion of the Beasts… so he summoned the real thing._

"This isn't a _matter_ of whether he is your master! You, of all monsters, should know that, given this newborn!"

Kisara hesitated, looking down at Kaiba, who folded his arms. "Please. You're just scared because you know my Blue Eyes will destroy you."

Kisara growled softly. _"Well…"_

But before anything else could happen, everyone could feel a ripple that seemed to pass right through the air. Everyone turned, forgetting completely the spat that had started, and the crowd gathered. As if out of nowhere, millions of monsters surrounded them, floating in the sky or standing on the ground, and an expectant hush dropped.

Yugi could feel the approach from within his chest, and tried to place rushing feeling, but he couldn't. The Dark Magician, as well as a version of the Dark Magician Girl that Yugi didn't recognize, appeared above them, and between them…

It was too far to tell, but Yugi knew.

Atem floated high above the crowd, and his nervousness returned. So many! The skies were dark, and the ground was completely hidden for the number of them. As he felt their power, he felt a corresponding frustration build inside him again and fought it down. He couldn't let another explosion like that occur, not with so many watching.

But his control was slipping fast. His panic was rising, and every face looked expectant. Images of other eyes, staring at him, expecting him to impress them, expecting the impossible, expecting…

He felt a hand on his arm and looked up. Mana felt an electric shock as she touched him, but she didn't release him. She smiled encouragingly, and for a moment, the terror was held at bay. "Everyone's waiting, Pharaoh."

His eyes widened, and he could feel the eyes on him again. An accusative green glow crept at the corners of his eyes, and he heard the familiar voice… Yugi's smile as he faded… _NO!_

The pain felt as though thousands of knives had struck his heart, and the feeling of being trapped, of mounting frustration, overwhelmed him. He clutched his chest. _No… let me out! I… I can't…!_

A ray of light pierced the pain, and his eyes opened again. Mana and Mahad were supporting him, but something else had caused the sudden calm of his spirit.

In the silence, Mana managed quietly, "Uh… Pharaoh…?"

Mahad looked up. "You don't have the ability to calm, do you?"

"N… no…" She shook her head, and Atem lifted silently out of their grip to fly down to the crowd below. Their heads followed him, and their anticipation pressed down on him, but though he would have felt panic, he flew on, his eyes scanning the crowd for the glimmer he had seen.

Yugi looked up, and as their eyes met, Atem landed in front of him. For a moment, there was only silence. At first, it was simple wonder, but then a tension began to work its way in, each waiting for the other.

Finally, Yugi broke it. "Hey, Pharaoh."

Atem felt an odd distance, displacing him from Yugi, and the trapped feeling, which had been held back at the thought of his little friend, returned to overwhelm him. Terror flickered through his eyes, and he tried to control it. The feeling grew, though, and continued to grow. He remained as he was, though the pain built in his chest, threatening to burst.

_I wish I'd never gone through that door._ Suddenly, seeing what was left of his family hadn't been worth it. Not even seeing his father.

Yugi's eyes widened in surprise. "You… mean that?"

Atem blinked, and for a split second he thought they were still connected, that somehow none of this had happened, that it was just a dream. The feeling vanished, but with it, the pain and fear, replaced with a regret nearly as strong as the encounter with the Orichalcos. He ducked his head as tears forced themselves out, and his shoulders shook. "With every fiber of my being, Yugi." He whispered.

"Now that just sounds wrong." Kaiba growled, and Joey shoved him.

"Ya jus' don' get it, do ya, Kaiba?" Joey snapped back, then turned. "Nice ta see ya again, Atem."

Yugi was shaking too, but with laughter, and though tears streamed down his cheeks as he hugged the pharaoh, he felt only immense relief. Atem squeezed him, then laughed and let him go, wiping his cheeks. "Thanks, Yugi."

Yugi nodded, drying his own tears, and put his hands on his hips. "So, what happened, Pharaoh? Why are you here?"

Atem smiled wryly. "Now that, is a tale in itself, Yugi. One moment." He lifted off the ground and turned, then realized that he was more or less surrounded, and couldn't really face everyone. He looked up to see Mana and Mahad, floating nearby, and smiled again. "Welcome, and thank you for coming." He spread his hands. "Now, I think we have a celebration to start, don't we?"

There was a roar of approval, and Atem dropped back to the ground. The crowd turned its attention away from Atem and went straight for the food, leaving the three humans with the newborn monster.

Atem turned back. "So, would you like to explain how you got here, or would you like me to go first?"

"Well, our story's quick, though it has a few puzzles." Yugi started, but Atem held up a hand, interrupting him.

"Kaiba, I know you probably don't want to hang around when people are actually having fun. I'm sure Mahad can take you back to the realm of humans." He looked up, and Mahad and Mana landed on either side of him.

"Hold on, Pharaoh." Mahad grinned mischievously. "Seto challenged Aktek to a duel. While the duel itself is void, since they were playing different games, duels themselves are not forbidden, and often encouraged, especially during such momentous occasions as the birth of a god-power."

Atem frowned. "I'm hardly a god-power, Mahad."

Mahad rolled his eyes. "Just watch." He turned. "Yugi, will you duel Seto for the pharaoh?"

Atem gave a start. "Mahad, I don't want a ceremonial duel for a birthday present! I've had almost all I can take of that kind of thing."

"Just trust me, Pharaoh." He looked back at Kaiba, who looked ready to argue. "Unless, of course, Seto doesn't _want_ a chance to take back his precious title from the current King of Games."

Kaiba twitched, then bristled. "I don't appreciate it when people try to toy with me, you overdressed windbag."

Mahad smirked. "So that's a no? He must be afraid."

"I didn't say that!"

"You might as well have."

"Seto Kaiba fears no one!"

"Then _duel_!"

"Fine, but you'll regret those words!"

Atem covered his face, shaking his head, and Yugi looked wry. "I guess that means we're dueling, huh?" He lifted his dueldisk. "I mean, it's not like we accepted the Duel Monsters tournament invitations without expecting to duel, right?"

"Just draw your cards, Yugi. You do have the Egyptian god cards, right?"

"Yes, Kaiba, I have the Egyptian god cards." Yugi sounded as though he had answered that question many times. He drew.


	6. First Time for Everything

After Beyond - Basically, what happens at the end of the series... with quite a bit of imagination. Wonder what you think of it.

Also, touches briefly on religion, so no hate me. No pairings except what you think you see.

* * *

"I'll start things off with my Battle Ox, in attack mode." Kaiba looked up in time to see a beam of light shoot up out of the crowd and land on the field between them, revealing the Battle Ox, who roared his challenge to the skies.

Yugi blinked in slight surprise. "So… we're dueling with real monsters here? Isn't that dangerous?" He looked up.

Mana laughed. "If you think we'd get hurt in a duel, then you're silly. We're a whole lot more durable than that, and besides, Pegasus's magic avoided anything sticky like binding us to a single game." She winked. "We're bonded to the cards themselves."

"Oh, so the graveyard's temporary, and removing from play is too?"

"Of course." She nodded. "Now, make your move before Seto gets too impatient."

Atem looked up as Yugi drew. "We're bonded to the cards?"

Mana nodded. "Well, you and I aren't, we haven't had a chance to bond with one. It's kinda like the tablets, but though ripping a card would be the same as destroying a tablet –weakening the monster if not destroying it– Thoth stepped in to make sure we'd have a way out." She smiled, then gave a start. "Wait, if Yugi still has the Dark Magician Girl…!"

"Is something wrong?" Atem asked.

Mana looked distracted. "I don't know. It's probably nothing." She didn't look convinced, though, and looked back at Mahad, who seemed just as disturbed. _I just hope he doesn't draw it in this duel… as long as he doesn't try to play it, nothing should happen…_

"I summon Big Shield Gardna, in defense mode, and place this card facedown. Your move, Kaiba."

He drew, then looked up. "Get ready, Yugi. First, I summon Lord of Dragons in defense mode. Then, I activate White Dragon Ritual and sacrifice my Battle Ox in order to summon Paladin of White Dragon, in attack mode!" The monsters didn't seem to be quite as quick as Kaiba had been – the Lord of Dragons appeared, then the Ritual, and the Battle Ox grunted.

"_Great. I don't even get to fight."_ He strode towards the ritual spell, and was absorbed, appearing outside the duel a moment later.

A dragon appeared out of the ritual's fumes, and the Paladin hefted his lance as he appeared on the field.

"And now, my paladin, begone! I sacrifice my Paladin of White Dragon to summon my Blue Eyes White Dragon!"

Kisara had been standing behind him anyway, and now, she strode onto the field, roaring a challenge as she faced her opponent.

"Luckily, my Blue Eyes can't attack just yet. I'll place one card facedown and end my turn."

"Good, my move." Yugi drew.

"Pharaoh, why don't we take a seat?" Mana brightened, twirling her staff, and two overstuffed velvet armchairs appeared. She sat down and patted the other one, and Atem sat down gratefully.

"Oh, that's excellent!" He chuckled contentedly as he felt his muscles relax. "Thanks, Mana," He added, and Mahad made his own chair to sit down beside them.

"I summon Yellow Gadget in defense mode, and I'm afraid that's it for me. Make your move, Kaiba." The Yellow Gadget hopped over from the sidelines, since it was already nearby, and took up a defensive stance as it faced down the Divine Dragon, who snorted.

"I will likely be called to the field shortly, so I won't make myself comfortable," Mahad explained matter-of-factly as he settled down. "Seto is off to an early lead, as usual." He commented as he watched the duel.

"Yes, but Yugi remains the only duelist to defeat all three Egyptian gods." Atem snuggled into his seat.

Kaiba summoned Spear Dragon, then activated Dragon's Rage. "Now, you'll lose Life Points, even though your monsters are in defense mode. Nothing will protect you from the wrath of my dragons! Blue Eyes, attack his Big Shield Gardna!"

Atem watched Yugi's expression carefully, then smiled. "Kaiba won't get him that easily."

"Now, Spear Dragon, attack his Yellow Gadget!"

Yugi grinned. "I activate Magical Hats! Sorry, Kaiba, but you'll have to find him first." The hats popped right out of the ground, hopping over the Yellow Gadget and swirling into a row of four.

Kaiba bristled. "You're just delaying your demise! Spear Dragon! Attack the one on the right!"

The dragon attacked, but the hat disappeared, empty.

"Too bad."

"You're just delaying the inevitable. I place one card facedown and end my turn."

Yugi drew. "I'll activate Stronghold the Moving Fortress and have him absorb my Yellow Gadget, and summon Green Gadget to the field to be absorbed by my Stronghold. His special ability lets me move a Red Gadget from my deck to my hand. I'll hide Stronghold under one of my three remaining hats and end my turn."

Atem's eyes narrowed.

"My move. I'll attack with Blue Eyes White Dragon!" He pointed. "Attack the middle hat!"

"Sorry, but that's a miss too."

Kaiba bristled. "Don't think you'll get away with this hide-and-seek for long. I'll defeat you and win back the title that rightfully belongs to me!"

Yugi shrugged. "My turn. I'll summon Red Gadget, which means my Stronghold now has three thousand attack points. Next, I'll switch him to attack mode." He looked up at Kaiba's side of the field, then back at his hand. _This should last me until next turn, when I can summon Obelisk._

"What, afraid to attack?" Kaiba sneered as he drew. "Oh well, it's over anyway. Blue Eyes, attack his Stronghold!"

Kisara growled, then roared, drawing in the energy to attack, and Yugi lifted a card. "Sorry, not this turn, Kaiba. I discard Kuriboh to negate your attack."

Kaiba trembled in fury as he watched hundreds of Kuriboh appear on the field, blocking Kisara, who roared again in frustration. _"Blasted fur balls!"_

"Sorry, Kisara. Maybe next time." Yugi discarded the Kuriboh card, and the Kuriboh on the field bounced around him in simple delight. "It's still your move, Kaiba."

"I place one card facedown and end my turn." Kaiba folded his arms. "You're not exactly the one winning the duel. Your Stronghold can't attack my Blue Eyes without leaving you open to an attack."

"Maybe not, but this next card should help." He raised it. "I activate Pot of Greed!" He drew, then placed one of the cards on the field. "I can summon Watapon directly to the field since it came to my hand because of a spell."

"I'm terrified. It's a magic puffball."

"I'm not done. Next, I sacrifice my three gadgets in order to summon Obelisk, the Tormentor!" He removed the three gadgets and lifted Obelisk, and the gadgets on the field left a little more hastily than usual.

The resulting ripple of power was a lot stronger than Yugi had expected, and he felt himself drained as the Egyptian god erupted from the card. The power that flowed back through felt… dark and forbidding. He kept his eyes focused on the field. "You know what's next, Kaiba!"

Kaiba gave a start, and Atem stirred, his eyes narrowed. _He wouldn't be defeated so easily._

"I sacrifice Stronghold the Moving Fortress and my Watapon to activate Obelisk's special ability!" Yugi could feel the rush, the terrible power coursing through him from Obelisk, and wondered if it was such a good idea to play a god monster without Atem's resilience. He clutched his chest, trying to keep the dark magic from taking control, and Atem partially rose from his seat, concerned, but Yugi recovered. He looked up just in time to see Watapon and Stronghold vanish. "Now…" He raised his hand and realized it was trembling.

"Are you going to make your move or _what_?" Kaiba demanded.

"I…" He shook himself. "Obelisk! Wipe him out with your Fist of Fate!"

"I activate Waboku! Sorry, Yugi, but you'll have to do better than that. All of my monsters are unharmed."

Yugi blinked in surprise. _A trap stops Obelisk…? Wait… it only protects, not negates… of course…_

Atem sat back, his eyes switching to Yugi. "Kaiba has battled the Egyptian gods many times, and has gotten a good feel for how they work."

"And he's been on the receiving end of them so many times, I'd be surprised if he hadn't learned anything." Mahad added in some amusement, though when he saw Yugi's expression, he frowned. "Yugi looks like _he_ was the one attacked by Obelisk."

Atem's eyes narrowed as the Blue Eyes returned to the field. Kaiba drew. "My turn. I place one card facedown on the field, then activate Card of Demise." He drew until he was holding five cards, then looked up. "Sorry, Yugi, but that Egyptian god of yours needs to go." He lifted Polymerization, and Yugi gave a start. "I use Polymerization to fuse my three Blue Eyes together, to form Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon in attack mode!" The three dragons appeared on the field, then became light, forming into the three-headed creature that was Kaiba's most powerful monster.

"I'm not done. Next, I activate Quick Attack, so my ultimate beast can attack immediately. Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon! Wipe out his Obelisk the Tormentor with your neutron blast!"

Yugi felt the power in him brace itself, and felt as though it had stiffened his entire body. He couldn't move, and as the attack hit, he _felt_ the pain and rage of the Egyptian god monster, defeated by the Divine Dragon's ultimate form. He gave a cry of pain and dropped to his knees as he was released, clutching his head.

Atem arose again, this time fully. "Yugi!" As his little friend recovered and got up, Kaiba looked over at him.

"Not as entertaining if I'm wiping the floor with your little pal, is it, Pharaoh?" Kaiba's eyes narrowed. "Maybe you should take his place and give the Egyptian gods a master worth serving, instead of a weak fool. Or better yet, he should forfeit, and give the Egyptian gods to someone who actually deserves them."

"Kaiba, you do realize that Yugi remains the only duelist to have defeated all the Egyptian gods at once, right?" Atem shot back.

"Sure I do. He's a good duelist. But he just doesn't have the power to wield the Egyptian gods, and you know it. After all, this is his first time using them himself, isn't it?"

Atem stiffened, then looked over at Yugi, who was struggling to get back to his feet. "Just save it, Kaiba. I'm not done yet." He drew. _Good… a fresh hand will help…_ "I summon Breaker the Magical Warrior in defense mode, then activate Card of Sanctity, so we both draw four cards." He straightened, relaxing, but when he drew Slifer, he felt shock. _Another one? But I can't…_

"You do realize that I'll win next round anyway?"

"I activate Swords of Revealing Light!" Yugi lifted the card, and the swords shot down around Kaiba, blocking him. He looked annoyed, but folded his arms dismissively.

"We both know I'll win anyway. You're just delaying your own defeat."

"Just go."

Atem hesitated, but it seemed as though Yugi had recovered from the blow. He sat down, but suddenly the chair wasn't as comfortable as before.

"Buying time to try to summon another Egyptian god and hope its wrath doesn't devastate you the way Obelisk did?" Kaiba taunted. "I discard one Thunder Dragon to draw two more, and since I can't attack, I'll place these two cards and end my turn. Better come up with something fast, Yugi."

Yugi twitched and looked down, then drew. _What? A blank card?_ He frowned at it. _I never put one in my deck…_

"Are you going to try to wait me out, or are you just too scared to make a move?" Kaiba demanded, and Yugi looked up.

_The only thing I can do is summon Slifer. The Ultimate Dragon is too strong._ "I summon Queen's Knight in defense mode and end my turn." _I'll have to keep this blank monster in my hand. If I don't, Slifer won't have enough attack points to defeat his ultimate dragon, and I can't afford to wait for Ra._

"I activate Flute of Summoning Dragon to bring my two Thunder Dragons to the field. I'll leave them in defense mode for now." Kaiba folded his arms. "Your move, Yugi."

Atem could sense the card in Yugi's hand. _He'll have to, if he wants to defeat Kisara. But… will he be able to withstand the power long enough to win?_

He drew. "I summon King's Knight to the field. Since he and Queen's Knight are both on the field, I can summon Jack's Knight to the field as well!" He watched the knights take their place on the field, then turned to the Breaker. "Next, I'll activate Breaker's special ability to destroy your Dragon's Rage trap card, which reduces his attack to sixteen hundred." As the card was destroyed, Yugi looked up. "Your move, Kaiba."

"Good. I'll set one card facedown, then activate my Ring of Destruction trap card." He pointed. "I'll use it on your Breaker." He lifted his hand as the Ring circled Breaker. "Then I'll activate Ring of Defense, which will protect my life points. You, on the other hand, won't get off so easily. All of his attack points are taken from your life points."

Yugi looked down at his dueldisk. _Now why did he attack Breaker and not Jack's Knight? Breaker was already weakened, so destroying Jack's Knight would have taken more of my life points. What's he up to?_

"Your move. You'd better summon an Egyptian god, or you're history."

Yugi drew. _Well that doesn't help._ He looked up. _If I pull this off, then the rest of the duel should be quick._ "I summon Slifer, the Sky Dragon!"

Atem gave a start. _Yugi, be careful!_

The energy of Slifer was as powerful, if not more so, than Obelisk as it emerged from Yugi's card. The power that doubled back and surged within him. He fought against it, and was nearly driven to his knees. _That's… not good…_ He looked up. "Slifer, attack his ultimate dragon!" He managed before he could lose control.

"I don't think so, Yugi." Kaiba activated the Interdimensional Matter Transporter, and Slifer's attack went right through where the ultimate dragon had been moments ago. "Better luck next time. My turn."

Yugi stood and looked down at his hand. _Maybe I should… This duel is taking a whole lot more out of me. Besides, Atem doesn't need the Egyptian gods anymore… They're too powerful for me to wield them effectively._ He shut his eyes. _But I can tell Slifer won't just let me quit… not without… serious repercussions._ He looked up as Kaiba drew. _I'm sure he has a way to defeat Slifer, though._

Atem got to his feet. _Yugi can't handle them._

Mahad touched his arm. "Do not try to intervene, Pharaoh. Duel Monsters has a very tricky magic, and you'll want to make sure you keep clear until you are properly merged with a card."

"What do you mean?" Atem frowned as he looked back at Mahad. "How can I be in danger if I'm not merged with a card yet?"

Mahad was about to speak, but Kaiba played Shrink. "Too bad, but your Egyptian god card's power is cut in half."

Atem's eyes widened. "He'll lose!" _Not just that, but the power may hurt worse than when he lost Obelisk!_

Yugi braced himself. _This is going to be rough…_

The three-headed dragon surged down, blasting Slifer, and the power exploded in a shockwave, racing down to Yugi. Atem surged forward. "Yugi!"

"Pharaoh, wait!" Mana gasped, reaching out, but his own power was emerging.

Yugi felt the energy divert, and the blank monster card in his hand began glowing. He looked down in surprise, then up as he felt a presence he recognized. Atem was standing right on the edge of the field, glowing. The pharaoh wasn't sure what was happening, but he could feel himself right on the brink of freedom, and Yugi was holding the key.

"Play that card!"

Yugi gave a start, then looked down at the blank card. "Pharaoh?"

"Trust me!"

Mana gave a start. "He drew it!"

Mahad darted forward, but Atem pushed forward, into the vortex of power, and Yugi played the card.


	7. Into the Duel

After Beyond - Basically, what happens at the end of the series... with quite a bit of imagination. Wonder what you think of it.

Also, touches briefly on religion, so no hate me. No pairings except what you think you see.

* * *

When the light cleared, Atem opened his eyes, and to his great shock, he found himself facing the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon. Yugi stirred and opened his eyes to see that his dueldisk still registered with two thousand life points. Kaiba looked up to see that Yugi was still standing… and there was another monster on his side of the field.

"What is the meaning of this?" He demanded, and the crowd around them had become intensely focused on the duel.

Atem looked around, then back. "Yugi?" He asked, completely confused.

Mahad covered his face, and Mana squeaked with utter incredulity. "Pharaoh, have you absolutely lost your _mind_? If you're destroyed in this duel, you'll be _killed_!"

Yugi gave a start. "Wait, what?" He looked down at the dueldisk, which now carried a monster… with the image of the pharaoh on it. He lifted it, and Atem felt a very odd sensation of Yugi's presence surrounding him. He shuddered. "The… Nameless Pharaoh…?"

Mana jittered in her frustration. "Y-y-y- Pharaoh, next time, LET US HANDLE IT!"

"What are you talking about? Did he just… _play_ me?"

Mana seemed lost for words. Mahad shook his head, but only out of exasperation. "This is bad. This is probably the worst way to be fused to a card."

"But… I haven't merged with a card yet!"

"What's going on, Pharaoh?" Yugi looked up from the card. "And why are you on the field?"

"That's what I want to know! Why isn't Yugi destroyed?" Kaiba demanded.

Mahad shook his head in exasperation. "This gets a little complicated. Monsters who have never been used before in Duel Monsters are vulnerable. Usually, being removed from play is the dangerous part, as it shreds the monster infused in the card. But if you are merged to a card in the _middle_ of a duel, then you are experiencing the game in as real an environment as possible. Not only will removing you from play destroy you, but being sent to the graveyard will as well!"

"_What_?" Yugi gasped, shocked. "But… but how'd… how did that…?"

"You would have lost the duel, but that in and of itself would not have made any difference in your safety." Mahad pointed at Yugi's dueldisk, where Slifer had not yet been sent to the graveyard. "But because you played an Egyptian god card, you would have felt the backlash of the god monster's power, not to mention rage that you let it be destroyed." Mahad folded his arms. "You would likely have been knocked unconscious…" He turned. "But Pharaoh, we have more than enough ways to revive him! You didn't need to step in like that!"

Atem still looked lost. "I don't even know what I did!"

Mana sighed, as though searching for patience. "You didn't want him to get hurt, duh. You should have trusted him to be fine!"

"But it wasn't even that!" He protested. "I mean, of course I didn't want him to get hurt, but that's not what…"

"Then what?" Mahad didn't look convinced. "You're there now, and the only one who can initiate a mergence is the one merging. Which means you're the reason you're on the field, and if you don't survive the duel, you won't survive at all."

Atem's eyes widened, and he looked back at Yugi, who looked nervous. "I have to… stay on the… field the entire duel?"

"And Yugi has to win."

Yugi flinched. "Surely there's some other way!"

Mana landed beside him. "Well, the good news is, the Nameless Pharaoh is a powerful monster, so take a look. I'm sure something in his effect should help."

Atem was temporarily overcome with curiosity, and he strode back to Yugi. "What does it say?"

Yugi didn't look reassured. "Well, you're a six-star monster, dark, spellcaster, effect… your attack and defense aren't great, though." He shook his head. "Eighteen-fifty and fifteen hundred."

"That's all?" Atem asked, startled, and looked down at his hands.

"Well, hold on, Pharaoh, your effect may compensate. It says you can summon Pharaoh's Dragon or Pharaoh's Ujat once per turn, no matter where they are. I don't know those monsters, but of the two, the Ujat sounds more likely to protect you, as the symbol of Ujat is used to symbolize defenses." Mana was looking at the card from over Yugi's shoulder.

"But I don't even have those monsters." Yugi pointed out.

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." She looked up. "On the other side, it's not your turn, so Seto needs to finish."

"Thanks for finally paying attention to me, but explain to me why Yugi hasn't lost already, because that's still a mystery." Kaiba folded his arms. "Unless his new monster has the ability to summon itself to the field without a sacrifice, _and_ protect Yugi's life points, he should have lost."

"You can never really predict what happens if a monster merges with a card in the middle of a duel." Mana shook her head. "The last time it happened, the field was populated with millions of Kuriboh, even though by that point it was against the rules to have more than five monsters on the field at one time." She shrugged. "It's not one of the Nameless Pharaoh's special abilities, so it probably won't happen again, but that's not the only impossible thing that will happen in this duel." She sighed helplessly. "You might win automatically for no reason at all, or be attacked by your own monsters, or… well, nothing is certain. The rules have all gone out the window."

Atem hesitated. "But then… what are we supposed to do?"

"Play it out and hope for the best." Mana retreated, looking worried.

Yugi looked at Atem, who looked back. "Well… I guess that's all we can do."

"And another thing: you can't just forfeit. If the pharaoh has any advanced forms –which is pretty much guaranteed– you'll have to unlock any and all of them if he's going to…" Mana blinked, then groaned. "Thoth, we could've done that a little more easily if you'd just _told_ me that was what your plan was!"

"Wait, so _Thoth_ was the one who put me on the field?" Atem demanded.

"No, you still had to initiate it yourself, but he most certainly orchestrated it." Mana shook her head. "It's still Seto's turn, so…"

"Kaiba, please don't destroy him!" Yugi gasped, terrified as Kaiba looked back at his side of the field.

"So what, I'm supposed to let you use your new monster to walk all over me? Fat chance." Kaiba reached for his Spear Dragon, and Atem took a few steps back.

_Yeah, I want to rest, but I don't want to vanish!_

"Kaiba, please!" Yugi begged, but the Spear Dragon switched to attack mode.

"Forget it, Yugi! I'm not going to lose to you again!"

Atem felt something inside him rise. This couldn't be how it ended… it _wouldn't_ be! He snapped his fingers as the Spear Dragon attacked.

"PHARAOH!" Yugi gasped, then found himself staring at a magical hat. "…wait… what…"

The Spear Dragon struck an empty hat, and Kaiba stared. "How did you do that? You don't have any cards on the field but your monster!"

Yugi looked down and read the text on Atem's card more closely, then laughed. "It's his special ability!" He felt relief surge through him and nearly fainted. "The Nameless Pharaoh can activate one magic or trap card from my hand or graveyard during my opponent's battle phase." He looked up. "And looks like he chose Magical Hats."

"_Okay, that was still a little too close for comfort."_ Atem's voice echoed, as though he was under all three hats at once. _"But he still has two monsters that can destroy me."_

Yugi gave a start. "But then…!"

Kaiba lifted his hand. "Thunder Dragons! Attack!"

They aimed, and for a brief instant, Yugi saw Atem behind one of the hats being attacked, but then he was under the remaining hat. Surprised, he watched as the Thunder Dragons attacked the other two, and Atem appeared, the effect of Magical Hats negated.

Kaiba bristled, then growled, "Lucky for you I missed. But you won't be so lucky next turn. Just watch." He looked back at his hand. "I'll end my turn."

Yugi looked up at the pharaoh, who looked back. "Well, here goes…" He drew. _I'd better save this so he can activate it… if it helps…_ He looked up. "Well, Pharaoh, which one should we summon? Pharaoh's Dragon or Pharaoh's Ujat?"

Atem considered him for a moment, then said, "Ujat. Mana's right, the Ujat often refers to defensive magic."

"Right." Yugi nodded. "I'm activating the Pharaoh's special ability, which allows me to summon a Pharaoh's Ujat to the field!" Before he could reach for his deck, though, Atem raised a hand.

"Let me, Yugi." He turned back towards Kaiba and let his instincts take control. He closed his eyes, and his hands lifted in front of him. He clenched his fists, and a moment later, he felt an answering call as a serpent appeared in his mind's eye, powered with large feathery wings. He couldn't quite explain it, but he felt as though another level of the seals blocking the full usage of his power had been brought out.

The winged serpent burst from his chest, swirling around on Yugi's side of the field before curling around the Nameless Pharaoh.

Yugi looked down and found that the card had appeared on his dueldisk of its own accord, in attack mode. He lifted it and gazed at the winged serpent, then up at the Ujat on the field. "Pharaoh, it doesn't have enough power to defeat his dragon, though. It only has twenty-three hundred attack and twenty-nine hundred defense."

"Looks like it's not going to let anything hurt me, though." Atem pointed out, and Yugi had to admit he had a point. The Ujat was providing a protective barrier for the pharaoh. "Just read its effects and finish your turn." He folded his arms. _I have a feeling it will withstand Kaiba's dragon, despite evidence to the opposite. It was a seal around my power, which means the Pharaoh's Dragon is likely the final seal. My guess is that having all three of us on the field will allow Yugi to summon my true form._

"Oh, I see! Okay, I'm playing the Ujat in attack position. As long as Ujat is on the field, you can't attack the pharaoh, and as long as there's another monster on the field besides the pharaoh, you can't target him with magic, trap, or monster effects." Yugi grinned. "I'll switch the pharaoh to attack mode and end my turn."

Atem was briefly surprised, but it made sense, since he was now impervious to direct attack… hopefully the Ujat had another special ability, because attack mode was not what he would have chosen.

"You've lost it. My dragon can easily destroy your Ujat and the rest of your life points!" Kaiba folded his arms. "Since it's been five turns since I played Card of Demise, I have to discard my entire hand. But my Blue Eyes will destroy you anyway, so it's no big deal. Blue Eyes, attack!"

"Hold on, Kaiba! You've activated my Ujat's special ability." Yugi grinned. "Since Ujat is in attack position, I choose one of your other monsters, and it gains two hundred attack points. I'll choose your Lord of Dragons." He pointed.

"Why would you make my monster stronger?"

"Because now your monster has to attack." Yugi explained. "And if your monster is destroyed in battle because of this effect, then you lose two hundred life points and your turn is ended."

"What?" Kaiba exclaimed, caught off guard, and watched helplessly as his Lord of Dragons attacked instead of his Ultimate Dragon.

"You don't lose life points from the battle, so you've only lost two hundred, but now that he's gone, I can do that to your dragons as well." Yugi grinned. "And you have three that can't fight my Ujat, even with the bonus. Meaning you can't attack."

Atem relaxed, relieved. _Seems I have power after all. Well, let's see how far this power of mine goes._ "Which means it's Yugi's turn."

Kaiba bristled. "Just you wait, Pharaoh!"

Atem shrugged. "But now I can summon Pharaoh's Dragon. And if the Pharaoh's Ujat can hold you at bay, then I am certain the Dragon will be able to take down your great beast."

Yugi nodded. "Go ahead, Pharaoh."

He lifted his hands again, and this time, a dragon emerged from him to join the Ujat on the field. Yugi looked down as the third card appeared, and picked it up. "Looks strong." His eyes widened. "No way!"

Atem looked back. "What is it, Yugi?"

"Well, since you're on my side of the field, I can destroy any monster on the field with Pharaoh's Dragon's special ability. While it then can't attack, that should be enough to get rid of his Ultimate Dragon." He paused, then frowned.

"Yugi? Is something wrong?" Atem asked when his friend hesitated.

"Well… maybe I shouldn't activate it yet. Mana said you were supposed to achieve your strongest form now if you want to be able to use it later." He looked up. "And if I have all three of you on the field, I can summon a monster, but…" He looked over at Mana. "Do you think this will work?" He asked as he lifted the card towards her.

She hopped over and read the text. After a moment, she looked up at him and nodded. "Better not leave it to chance, especially with Seto being so stubborn." She gave Kaiba an exasperated look, then turned back to Yugi. "Even if he ends up not being as powerful as Kisara –which I really doubt, given the strength of his birth– he may reach a level of power where he can break out, even if he is sent to the graveyard."

Yugi looked back at Atem. "Well, Pharaoh? You ready?"

He felt a flicker of surprise, as though inside, he could hardly dare to believe he was actually going to… be free. He turned away wordlessly, trying to control the overpowering feeling of vertigo.

"Pharaoh?"

He gave a stiff nod. Yes, the three monsters he had manifested so far were extraordinarily powerful, but… not enough. He breathed deeply to calm his restless anticipation.

"All right. I activate Pharaoh's Dragon's special ability. Since I have both Pharaoh's Dragon and Pharaoh's Ujat, as well as the Nameless Pharaoh, I can sacrifice all three of them to bring forth…"

Atem never heard the rest, because the surge of sheer surprise wiped out all other thought. Suddenly, the barriers were released, and his body vanished. The seals shattered, and the world beyond was opened. He spread his wings, and his power took its true, perfect, ultimate form. He could feel the entire universe opened to him, and the freedom consumed him. Chaos erupted as he was at last able to express his full power to its maximum potential.

Thoth looked up, the quills dropping once again, and his eyes widened. _"That's…!"_

Other deities stirred in the great hall, and emerged to gather beside the ibis-headed deity. _"He chose this…?"_

"_He chose to become…?"_

"_Why would He…?"_

"_It's His world, after all. He must've been curious."_

"_So why now?"_

Yugi looked up to find that his dueldisk had deactivated. He looked over at Kaiba, who was experiencing the same thing. "Did that just… end the duel…?" Kaiba looked up and lost what was left of his ability to speak.

Yugi followed his gaze and stared. It was impossible to describe: he could see it, but it wasn't his eyes that saw it, at least, not entirely. The power itself was so vast that it was beyond the sun, yet still visible, and still comprehensible. The dragon was much smaller, about the same size as the Blue Eyes Ultimate Dragon, and yet it seemed even larger than the Legendary Dragons, the Knights of Atlantis.

It was like nothing he had ever felt. He could tell that the power was many millions of times stronger than the Egyptian gods, yet for the moment, he felt no ill effects. It shone through him like warm sunlight, intense, but gentle.

Yugi straightened. "Uh… Pharaoh…?"

As if he had awakened it, the dragon opened its eyes, and suddenly Yugi could perceive its appearance. It was golden-furred, though the fur ended about halfway down each of its legs, as well as its tail and the fingers in its wings. Its skin was black, and its eyes were bright. As it appeared, Yugi could feel quite clearly what it was thinking.

_Oh. He's God._


End file.
